While Clarkdale-Jerome School head baseball coach Jeremy Peters overcame ineligibility and other challenges to his roster to finish 6-2 in conference play, only a forfeit at Oak Creek School prevented head softball coach Joel Rosenberg’s team from going into the Verde Valley Conference tournament undefeated.
Softball
Although Clarkdale played, and beat, Oak Creek anyway with eight players April 12, conference rules traditionally require teams to start games with nine players.
“We had a couple kids who were home sick that day,” Rosenberg said. “In past years, though, other teams faced a forfeit, and we went ahead and played the other teams. Yeah, it’s kind of a tough thing for the girls to deal with, but we’re still first.”
Rosenberg knows that the Roadrunners, who were aided by the forfeit win with a move up to second seed, and Camp Verde Middle School will both be gunning for his team in its conference title defense.
“It doesn’t change our seed standing; it helped theirs,” Rosenberg said. “Camp Verde’s definitely a challenge; when we played them, we had to work for it.
“I think that’s what kind of held [Oak Creek] back, is that my pitcher is a good pitcher also. They were having as hard a time getting hits off us as we were off them.”
Eighth-grader Mikayla Brogdon matched Roadrunners eighth-grade ace Jacy Finley pitch for pitch.
“She needs a little bit of work, but I’ll be honest — she can hold her own on a high school varsity,” Rosenberg said. “I’ve got a good field of pitchers.”
Which also includes seventh-grader Hannah Dixon and sixth-grader Mikell Gordon, who also play first and second base, respectively, when not on the mound for the Mingus Rams. More accurate sixth-grader Alexis Ehresmann has developed a strong fastball and changeup, in addition to two other pitches, as a veteran club softball pitcher with girls 12 years old and younger in the off-season.
Catching them is seventh-grader Kaylee Watson, with Rosenberg’s daughter Haley playing third base and eighth-grader Olivia Gordon at shortstop.
When not pitching, either Brogdon or Ehresmann rotate into center field, taking charge of a less-experienced defense down the foul lines in sixth-graders Samantha Brady and Jamie Chenoweth, along with seventh-grader Sierra Muñoz.
“I’ve got sixth-graders playing outfield,” Rosenberg said. “That’s why I either rotate in Alexis or Mikayla. They understand the outfield, and they know how to work with left or right, saying, ‘Hey, why don’t you pull right or go left a little?’”
This spring, Rosenberg was allowed to extend preseason practice from mid-February back to Jan. 25 to round the new girls into shape and teach them the fundamentals of the game, even though most of them already had club softball experience.
“That was a big difference,” he said. “The rest came in conditioned. They know the program.
“By the time the second game rolled around, we were on the same page. I noticed, by the halfway point of the season, ‘Wow, practice is going a lot smoother.’”
Baseball
Peters’ team is second seed in the conference tournament at 7-5 overall, surviving the past three weeks in which up to five starters were ineligible.
“Honestly, my defense has shifted so badly, I don’t think we’ve even been close to what we can do,” Peters said. “The last three weeks, I’ve been patching the team together. I’ve yet to see the whole package.”
Peters’ son Trey and eighth-grader Andrew Nahar have teamed up for their last two wins on the mound when not filling in holes in the infield and outfield defensively.
“I’ve got a two-headed monster,” Peters said. “Andrew throws hard; Trey’s a little more off-speed.”
Along with center fielder and first baseman Jehiah Rogers, they throw to eighth-grader Luke Doerksen behind the plate.
“He’s just gritty,” Peters said. “He does the dirty work, made all the little plays.”
But Peters has been leaning on his seven seventh-graders for offensive production, particularly in the top half of the order. Outfielder Emmanuel Rascon has been forced into duty at third base, and shortstop Ben Miranda will need to step up his offense when called on, along with outfielders Trevor Miller and Carter Welly.
“Emmanuel has been pretty solid at the plate,” Peters said. “I’ve had to play more sixth-graders than I expected.”
Including Marcos Bueno at second base and in left field, along with Liam McCarthy.
“One mistake can’t lead to two,” Peters said. “One thing we can improve on is hitting with runners in scoring position, because we left the bases loaded in the sixth and third innings.”
For more photos, please see the Wednesday, April 18, issues of the Camp Verde Journal and Cottonwood Journal Extra.
